Finding your career: Author’s new book looks at college alternatives that can lead to great things

Ryan Porter's new book, 'Make Your Own Lunch: How to Live an Epically Epic Life through Work, Travel, Wonder and (Maybe) College,' looks at college alternatives that can lead to great things.

By Andrea Honaker

Published: Monday, May 26, 2014 at 04:01 PM.

As graduation looms for area high school seniors, many have a clear plan in front of them. They know where they’re going to college, what they want to study and where they want to be after their next graduation in four years. But for others, the path isn’t so clear. Ryan Porter, author of “Make Your Own Lunch: How to Live an Epically Epic Life through Work, Travel, Wonder and (Maybe) College,” wants teens to know that it’s OK not to have their life mapped out right now. “I think that too many people put way too much pressure on teens to have it all figured out by the time they’re 17 or 18,” said Porter, a youth speaker and co-founder and CEO of www.RaiseYourFlag.com, a Web platform that provides career guidance to teens. “No one talks about the 45 percent of high school students who don’t go to college right after high school. They make it seem like everybody’s going, and that you’ve somehow failed if you don’t. … They make it seem like a degree is the only thing you need to have success.” No matter the career path, Porter said there’s one common goal that students should be working toward. “I believe that everyone under the age of 25 should be trying to become as employable as possible,” he said.

Lessons learned

Porter knows firsthand about career uncertainty. When he graduated from high school in Canada, he didn’t know what he wanted to do and got a job at a grocery store rather than going straight to college. His employment led him to discover a passion for working with people and being part of a team, and after a year of full-time work, he enrolled in business school. But a year and a half into college, he realized it wasn’t quite the right path for him. So, he moved to Tokyo and taught English. “I just had a crazy, wild experience, meeting a ton of people who were doing interesting things,” he said. “I found that I had no idea that these people and that these opportunities existed.” Porter decided that he needed to let others know about the alternative ways to find a career. So, he returned to Canada to complete his business degree, started Raise Your Flag, began traveling to speak to young people, and then created a career software business. “The world is changing very quickly, and young people have the opportunity to do things that we’ve never experienced. It’s kind of up to them to make it work,” he said.

Getting started

Some teens have it all figured out. But students who go to college with no inkling of a career choice may end up wasting time and funds as they change majors, drop out or walk away with a degree with no employment opportunities, Porter said. But there are other options. “I’m never going to come out and say you shouldn’t go to college or you should go to college. I’m going to tell you to figure out what you want to do,” he said. “If (high school seniors) don’t have any inclination of what they want to do beyond college for employment, they need to spend time figuring it out.”

Employment training from a career center can help students land a job or internship and get them started working toward a career. Instead of asking, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Porter said teens should ask themselves four other questions: What do I want to have? Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? The answers will give them a picture of their future life, and then they can start eliminating the things that don’t work toward that goal and find the tools to get them there. Students can see the good and the bad of their first work opportunities, and figure out how to move forward with the aspects that they liked. Mentors can serve as a great resource for pursuing these interests.

Nontraditional approach

For those who don’t want to get a job right away, Porter mentioned five untraditional alternatives to college that look good on resumes and can lead to great careers. They all show that a young person has spent time doing something productive after graduation and can help them to discover new passions. These things might not be accessible to everyone because they do cost money; but normally, working a few months at a part-time job will provide enough funding for them, he said.

Travel – One option is to take time off to go somewhere, meet new people and learn a new city. “I believe that travel has a magic ability to help us figure things out and make us more employable,” Porter said.

Volunteer – Most organizations are willing to open their doors to teens who are trying to decide what to do with their life. Plus, companies love to hire within, and the student is likely to get hired full- or part-time.

Learn a new language – This could mean tackling a traditional language like Spanish or French or even a programming language. “Learning Japanese was one of the greatest things I ever spent time doing. I believe that learning a language has a ton of value,” Porter said.

Start a business – With the tools available today, people can start a business with little cost. Porter started his software business with $7,000. The successes and failure of a business venture are a great learning experience and can help shape a career.

Build something – Whether it’s starting a band that travels the country or carving a canoe, young people can get a lot out of a creative project. Porter recommended that they document their experience, such as through a blog.

You can reach lifestyles reporter Andrea Honaker at ahonaker@gastongazette.com or 704-869-1840. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/andi384 and read her blog at lifelessons.blogs.gastongazette.com.

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As graduation looms for area high school seniors, many have a clear plan in front of them. They know where they’re going to college, what they want to study and where they want to be after their next graduation in four years. But for others, the path isn’t so clear. Ryan Porter, author of “Make Your Own Lunch: How to Live an Epically Epic Life through Work, Travel, Wonder and (Maybe) College,” wants teens to know that it’s OK not to have their life mapped out right now. “I think that too many people put way too much pressure on teens to have it all figured out by the time they’re 17 or 18,” said Porter, a youth speaker and co-founder and CEO of www.RaiseYourFlag.com, a Web platform that provides career guidance to teens. “No one talks about the 45 percent of high school students who don’t go to college right after high school. They make it seem like everybody’s going, and that you’ve somehow failed if you don’t. … They make it seem like a degree is the only thing you need to have success.” No matter the career path, Porter said there’s one common goal that students should be working toward. “I believe that everyone under the age of 25 should be trying to become as employable as possible,” he said.

Lessons learned

Porter knows firsthand about career uncertainty. When he graduated from high school in Canada, he didn’t know what he wanted to do and got a job at a grocery store rather than going straight to college. His employment led him to discover a passion for working with people and being part of a team, and after a year of full-time work, he enrolled in business school. But a year and a half into college, he realized it wasn’t quite the right path for him. So, he moved to Tokyo and taught English. “I just had a crazy, wild experience, meeting a ton of people who were doing interesting things,” he said. “I found that I had no idea that these people and that these opportunities existed.” Porter decided that he needed to let others know about the alternative ways to find a career. So, he returned to Canada to complete his business degree, started Raise Your Flag, began traveling to speak to young people, and then created a career software business. “The world is changing very quickly, and young people have the opportunity to do things that we’ve never experienced. It’s kind of up to them to make it work,” he said.

Getting started

Some teens have it all figured out. But students who go to college with no inkling of a career choice may end up wasting time and funds as they change majors, drop out or walk away with a degree with no employment opportunities, Porter said. But there are other options. “I’m never going to come out and say you shouldn’t go to college or you should go to college. I’m going to tell you to figure out what you want to do,” he said. “If (high school seniors) don’t have any inclination of what they want to do beyond college for employment, they need to spend time figuring it out.”

Employment training from a career center can help students land a job or internship and get them started working toward a career. Instead of asking, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Porter said teens should ask themselves four other questions: What do I want to have? Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? The answers will give them a picture of their future life, and then they can start eliminating the things that don’t work toward that goal and find the tools to get them there. Students can see the good and the bad of their first work opportunities, and figure out how to move forward with the aspects that they liked. Mentors can serve as a great resource for pursuing these interests.

Nontraditional approach

For those who don’t want to get a job right away, Porter mentioned five untraditional alternatives to college that look good on resumes and can lead to great careers. They all show that a young person has spent time doing something productive after graduation and can help them to discover new passions. These things might not be accessible to everyone because they do cost money; but normally, working a few months at a part-time job will provide enough funding for them, he said.

Travel – One option is to take time off to go somewhere, meet new people and learn a new city. “I believe that travel has a magic ability to help us figure things out and make us more employable,” Porter said.

Volunteer – Most organizations are willing to open their doors to teens who are trying to decide what to do with their life. Plus, companies love to hire within, and the student is likely to get hired full- or part-time.

Learn a new language – This could mean tackling a traditional language like Spanish or French or even a programming language. “Learning Japanese was one of the greatest things I ever spent time doing. I believe that learning a language has a ton of value,” Porter said.

Start a business – With the tools available today, people can start a business with little cost. Porter started his software business with $7,000. The successes and failure of a business venture are a great learning experience and can help shape a career.

Build something – Whether it’s starting a band that travels the country or carving a canoe, young people can get a lot out of a creative project. Porter recommended that they document their experience, such as through a blog.

You can reach lifestyles reporter Andrea Honaker at ahonaker@gastongazette.com or 704-869-1840. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/andi384 and read her blog at lifelessons.blogs.gastongazette.com.